Foldable support.



E. T. CONDON, In.

FOLDABLE SUPPORT. A`PPLlCAT|0N FILED JULY 26. 1913.

Patented July 27, 1915. 3 1 4 @4.

` IE.. A

In Ven tor:

COLUMBIA PLANDCRAPH co-WASHINUTON D c EDWARD T, CONDON, JR.,- OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDABLE SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .nay av, rare.

Application filed July 26, 1913.` Serial No. 781,307.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that 1, yEDWARD T. CoNDoN, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Foldable Supports, of which the following is aspecification. y Y

The invention relates to foldable supports such as may be embodied, for example, in a collapsible baby-walker.

1t has for its object a support which may be readily and cheaply manufactured, which shall be of the requisitey strength with a minimum of'material, and which, furthermore, when it is desired to fold the melnber supported thereby may be conveniently released and collapsed, and also as readily extended and locked.

To this end, the invention consists in certain details of construction, hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through a baby-walker to which the invention has been applied. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but shows the walker in collapsed condition. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the support, in elevation. Fig. 4 is a detail end view of the same. Fig. 5 is a transverse section, taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 3.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding' parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates supporting bars or struts of suiiicient number and which, in the embodiment herein shown and described, are pivotally connected at their lower end by means of a pinned member 11 to a base member as the rim-12 resting upon rollers 13. rThe upper end of these struts is connected, through a supporting and locking plate, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, to a seat member as the arm rest 11 of the walker and which is pro# vided with the usual tray 15 and from which is hung the seat 16. The rim 12, rollers 13, arm rest 111, tray 15, and seat 16 constitute the usual, well-known style of baby-walker, and the present invention relates more particularly to the separating and supporting members whereby the said arm rest with tray and seat is separated from and supportedrby the said rim in manner suchl that when desired, the said arm rest, tray and seat may be brought down substantially to the 12, 'affording thereby a compact and readily portable device. For this purpose, an attaching plate 20 is fitted to slide about the upper and free end of the strut 10, said f plate having a iiange or top-piece 21 provided with suitable screw holes 22 for securing the plate to the under side of arm restlli. Plate 2O is substantially triangular in shape, the vertex thereof being turned downwardly along the strut 10 and extended to provide a lip 23 turned over to embrace the Vsaid strut and hold and guide the plate thereto. Plate 2O is thus arranged to slide freely upon the said strut and its upward f movement is limited by suitable means, for example, a pin 24 projecting outwardly from the inner face of the strut and which prevents withdrawal of the same from the said plate. rThe strut 10 is, moreover, further guided by means of a beveled stop 25 projecting' outwardly from the inner face of plate 20 and serving also as a stop for the locking arm 26, pivotally mounted upon the said plate. r1`his arm 26 is yieldingly held to the plate 20 by means of a spring 27 coiled about the holding rivet 28 thereof and which spring is inserted between the said plate and arm. The outer end of the arm 26 is turned over to embrace the strut 10 and is provided with a finger piece 29 whereby the arm may be moved, in opposition to the tension of said spring, to release .it from stop 25. rEhe edge of the arm, moreover, is adapted normally to engage a slot or notch 30 in the upper end of strut 10, whereby to positively hold and lock the strut to the plate. In this position, the turned over or flanged attaching portion 21 rests against the top of the strut which thus receives the pressure exerted upon the said flange, the arm 26 serving also to resist said force. Stop 25, furthermore, serves to transmit the thrust to strut 10. An ear 31 is arranged to extend downwardly from the flange 21 and snugly hold the strut 10 to plate 20, thus preventing' rocking and side-play thereof as well as relieving arm 26 of all lateral pressure. l

To release the plate from the strut and thereby collapse the walker, it is necessary merely to push back the finger piece 29, raising arm 26 off and over the stop 25, as indicated by the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 5, whereupon the plate falls away from its strut and the member supported thereby may be folded into the desired position. The two parts are readily locked together again by sliding the said plate Lupn wardly until it engages the limit pin 24 and drawing arm 26 upwardly and over stop 25 until it snaps into the notch 30.

I claim 1. A oldable supporting member, com- Y prising a bar or strut, pivotal attaching means at one end thereof, a plate slidable Aabout the free end and having anupper f to said plate acting simultaneously as a zei,

guide for said strut and as a stop for said rm. Y Y

2. A foldable supporting member, comprising a bar or strut, pivotal attaching *means at one end thereof, a plate slidablc about the free end and having an upper turned over or liange portion for attachment and its lower end turned over to embrace the strut, an ear depending from the said flange and extending over said strut, a spring pressed arm pivotally secured to said plate and fittingv over said strut to lock the same thereto, and a beveled top member fixed to said plate acting simultaneously as a guide for said strut and a stop for said arm, and a stop on said strut adapted to engage with the turned over end of said plate. Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 25th day of July A. D. 1913. EDWARD T. CONDON, JR.

Witnesses:

WALTER L. Postr, FREDK. F. SOHULTZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained forV ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Y. Washngton,D.G." 

